Nikolay Denkov Denkov

Public record

Compiled from publications and official records as of 23.10.2026. Every statement links to its source; claims made by others are marked as such, with who makes them. Quotations in English are our translation.

Communist Party and State Security

• Deputy minister dismissed over State Security affiliation. On 13 June 2023 the cabinet press office announced that Дамян Дамянов, who had taken office as deputy minister of agriculture and food that same day, was „освободен поради установена принадлежност към Държавна сигурност“ (dismissed because of established State Security affiliation; our translation). According to dir.bg he was deputy minister for 3 hours. — dir.bg, 13 Jun 2023

Russia

• Russia. In April 2024 Nikolay Denkov told the Financial Times: "A large part of Russian influence in the past, for example in the energy sector, came through corruption" (our translation). According to RFE/RL he refers to energy deals of earlier governments that benefited Gazprom, including Turkish Stream, which "should be investigated"; Borisov says the pipeline was not to the detriment of Bulgarian interests. — RFE/RL Bulgarian Service, 10.04.2024
• The excise. In October 2023 Prime Minister Denkov said of the 20 leva/MWh excise on imports and transit of Russian gas: "In fact the fee we introduced creates the possibility of real competition between liquefied natural gas from different sources and the gas coming from Russia" (our translation). Serbia and Hungary objected to the fee. — Mediapool, 16.10.2023
• Lukoil: taxes. On 25 October 2023 Prime Minister Denkov said: "I have said clearly that Lukoil have committed to pay by the end of the year all taxes due under our legislation and not to try to defer them" (our translation). According to RFE/RL, GERB and DPS threatened to end the derogation for processing Russian oil if the company did not pay what it owed; Lukoil Neftochim Burgas stated that it pays all taxes required by law on time. — RFE/RL Bulgarian Service, 25.10.2023
• Lukoil: the sale. On 24 July 2023 Prime Minister Denkov said: "If they decide to sell Lukoil, that is their right", and that pushing the company out or "repressive measures" are "not at all in the plans of this government" (our translation). He was responding to comments by Vladislav Panev, MP for We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, who after the termination of the Rosenets concession spoke of removing Lukoil from the Bulgarian market as a follow-up decision. — Mediapool, 24.07.2023
• The meetings. In answer to a parliamentary question from Delyan Peevski, chair of the DPS parliamentary group, Denkov reported that between July and September 2023 he held three meetings with Lukoil representatives at the Council of Ministers, on the Burgas refinery's switch to non-Russian crude, and that no meetings with the Russian state were held, "nor were any telephone conversations held with the administration of Vladimir Putin or with the president of the Russian Federation himself" (our translation). — Sega, 02.01.2024
• Ukraine. According to RFE/RL, in June 2023 "the government of Nikolay Denkov approved the sending of military-technical aid to Ukraine" (our translation); on 22 November parliament ratified an agreement donating 100 armoured personnel carriers, and in its 8 December article the outlet reports that the majority overrode President Rumen Radev's veto on the decision to provide them. — RFE/RL Bulgarian Service, 08.12.2023
• The Constitutional Court rejects Radev's request on Rosenets. On 16 May 2024 24 chasa reported, citing NOVA, that the Constitutional Court unanimously rejected President Rumen Radev's request to "annul" the termination of the concession contract with Lukoil for the Rosenets oil port (our translation). — 24 chasa, 16 May 2024
• Russian Foreign Ministry lists him among examples of hate speech. In July 2025 the Russian Foreign Ministry listed Denkov, Tagarev, Glavchev and Zapryanov in a list of examples of hate speech against Russia for 2024, Focus reports. For Denkov, his remark at Davos in January 2024 is cited: „В нашите учебници има само една част от историята, която представя Русия“ (our translation: "Our textbooks contain only one part of the history, the one that presents Russia"). — Focus News, 28 Jul 2025
• NGO report: an extra EUR 1 bn for the Kremlin from Neftohim oil. A report by Global Witness, the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimates that „Тази година Кремъл е получил допълнителни 1 млрд. евро“ ("This year the Kremlin received an additional EUR 1 bn"; our translation) thanks to Lukoil and the derogation for Russian oil in Bulgaria. Prime Minister Denkov told journalists that much of the described corruption scheme was known and pointed to the government's measures – the higher taxes on Lukoil. — RFE/RL Bulgarian Service, 9 Nov 2023

Corruption and scandals

• TU-Sofia. In February 2022, as education minister, Denkov referred financial irregularities at the Technical University – Sofia, where an internal ministry audit found bonuses of nearly 3.5 million leva, to the anti-corruption commission (KPKONPI). According to Ofnews he wrote that rector Prof. Ivan Kralov himself appears in the lists of those to receive cash awards, "from which it follows that he exercised powers in his private interest" (our translation). KPKONPI opened a check for conflict of interest. — Mediapool, 15.02.2022
• The ruling. On 19 February 2025 the Supreme Administrative Court established a conflict of interest for the TU-Sofia rector Prof. Ivan Kralov; the decision is final. According to Sega, KPKONPI had found it in October 2022 after Denkov's referral and imposed a fine of 30,000 leva. — Sega, 20.02.2025
• Asks for dismissal of the head of DANS. In November 2023 Denkov asked President Radev to dismiss the DANS chairman Пламен Тончев after he refused to remove his deputy Деньо Денев, author of the DANS memo that led to the cancellation of machine voting in the first round. Denkov said the service had started „саботажа срещу машинното гласуване“ (the sabotage of machine voting; our translation) and called the refusal „съзнателен удар върху националната сигурност и демокрацията в България“ (a deliberate blow to national security and democracy in Bulgaria; our translation). — RFE/RL Bulgarian Service, 3 Nov 2023
• The list of "bombs" left by the caretaker government. In August 2023 Denkov listed decisions of the caretaker government that he called "bombs": the Botash gas contract, the closing of Bulgaria Heli Med Service, the cancelled road-maintenance procedures, BGN 600 m for dam repairs. He ordered reviews, with ministers to refer to the prosecutors if violations are found; he said the Botash contract has „неизгодни и неравнопоставени клаузи“ (unfavourable and unequal clauses; our translation). — Sega, 3 Aug 2023